Data Storage Devices (DSDs) are often used to record data onto or to reproduce data from a Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) media. Some DSDs include multiple types of NVM media. For example, in the case of a Solid-state Hybrid Drive (SSHD), a solid-state NVM media such as a flash memory is used for storing data in addition to a second type of NVM media such as a rotating magnetic disk.
In devices with different types of NVM media, one type of NVM media may be controlled by a primary controller as a primary storage device while another type of NVM media may be controlled by a secondary controller as a secondary storage device. For example, an SSHD may include a primary controller for communication with a host and for operation of a disk, while a secondary controller is used for operation of a solid-state memory. In such an arrangement, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to directly communicate with the secondary controller from the standpoint of the host. This can make obtaining diagnostic or usage information about the solid-state memory difficult. In some cases, troubleshooting the secondary storage device can require physically removing the secondary storage device from the SSHD in order to troubleshoot the secondary storage device using a tool (e.g., a software application) from the manufacturer of the secondary storage device.